Soul Coil
by AlcatrazisGod
Summary: In the dead of night, two rogue Humanoid Interfaces invade Kyon's mind and bring with them, a draconian plan to completely eradicate the Data Integration Thought Entity. Desperate to secure a future for Nagato and return to the world he left behind, Kyon is swift to assist them in their little rebellion.
1. Enter the Night Life

_Note: Okay. Part of me never thought I would revamp this project. Some of you may have seen it before. I released this story awhile back but removed it after it fell into a state of limbo. I stopped working on it along with my other project for the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Nightscape. The difference here is that Soul Coil actually had a shot in hell of being revitalized. Nightscape, on the other hand, I have no desire to bring back, but I'll go into more detail about the history of these two stories in a separate note for those who are interested._

 _Until then, I hope you all enjoy this new and revamped version of an old project. Feedback and critique are always welcome._

* * *

 **Enter the Night Life**

I woke up in the dead of that cold, winter night with a brain-splitting headache. No, it was much more than just a headache. Not even a migraine could compare to this pain. I ran my fingers through my hair, clawing at my scalp until blood coated my fingers.

I flailed around wildly and fell out of bed, slamming against the unforgiving floor. My brain felt as though it were being torn in two. I wanted to cry out in agony, but my scream was caught in my throat. I could hardly breathe.

Control over my body was lost just as quickly as my voice. Whether it was the pain that distracted me from the thought of climbing back into bed or the fact that his body did not want to move, I could not recall.

Suddenly, the pain subsided. What just happened? I wanted to cry a second ago and now it was all over. Surely this wasn't caused by my head injury? What else could it have been, though?

With that hellish pain gone, I slowly rose up off the ground. That was probably the worst pain I've felt in my young life. Even being stabbed did not compare to whatever that was.

The experience left me wide awake. I turned to my alarm clock and was stunned at the time. It was still so early. I had probably only been asleep for an hour and a half at the most. I tried forcing myself back to sleep. I must have laid there for thirty minutes, but I lost the little patience I had and got right back out of bed.

I approached the door and prepared to leave my room. I paused for a moment and listened. I could hear something. It was faint but it sounded like voices. I immediately assumed the television was left on downstairs.

Leave it to my sister to make a mistake like that.

* * *

Surely enough, my assumption was correct. Well, I was right in part. The television was on, but that wasn't by mistake. I saw my sister sitting on the sofa with her eyes glued to the screen.

She should be in bed by now, but she was as wide awake as me. I stood there observing quietly. What interested me more than her being up past a decent hour was the television. The volume was so low. There was no way I should have heard it from upstairs while my door was shut. I was struggling to figure out what was being said on that stupid cartoon she was watching when I was only standing a few feet away.

I thought I heard voices while I was upstairs. In fact, I know I did but that couldn't have been coming from the television.

I quickly grew bored of arguing with myself. I was probably getting worked up over nothing anyway. Besides, there was something else I needed to take care of. I stepped out of the shadows and into the blue light that radiated from the TV screen.

"Hey," I called out. My sister jumped at the unexpected sound of my voice. "What are you doing up at this hour. Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"After this episode," she pleaded.

" _Now._ "

Reluctantly, she followed my demands. She went for the remote and prepared to turn off the television, but I was quick to stop her.

"Leave it on. I'm going to be up for awhile."

She stared at me with a look of betrayal. "Why do you get to stay up but I don't!? That's not fair!"

Despite her puppy dog face, I would not be manipulated. I stared down at her sternly. Where those tactics would probably work on our parents, it will see no success with me.

"Because I said so," I argued halfheartedly. "Now go upstairs and do your homework or something."

"But I already did it," she whined.

"Then go to bed."

Murmuring to herself, she bolted out of the living room, giving me a nasty look as she went. As she went up the stairs, I heard something. It wasn't the television. It sounded like someone was speaking right into my ear.

" _You're a terrible brother._ "

I immediately turned around and responded. My sister just barely made it to the fourth step when I called out to her.

"What was that?"

She turned back to me with a look of confusion. "What was what?"

I stared at her with a blank expression for a few seconds. She seemed genuinely lost by my reaction. I honestly don't even know what was said, but I could have sworn I heard someone speak and she was the only other person in the house or at least she'd better be.

"What did you say just now?"

"I didn't say anything."

I nodded my head and turned away. She continued on up the stairs and I was left wondering. I believed her. That voice didn't sound like anything she could produce. I brushed the thought from my head thinking that I might just be more tired than I thought.

Before I could take a seat on the couch, I heard another voice. This time, I knew it belonged to my sister and when I looked back toward the staircase, I quickly confirmed my assumption.

"I almost forgot," she announced with a strange shift in mood. "A girl came by asking to see you."

Was it Asahina!? Please say it was Asahina! If it was then she can come to my room any time of the day and night. I wouldn't mind her waking me up.

"I don't know who it was," my sister abruptly proclaimed, instantly dashing my hopes. "I've never seen her before. She didn't say her name, but she had blue hair and she was kind of tall. She left a present for you in the kitchen."

That was suspicious. I don't know anyone who met that description. No one that was alive at any rate. None the less, my interest was thoroughly peaked.

* * *

My next stop was the kitchen. It didn't take too long to find this weird package. It was just a small cardboard box sitting on the counter near the cutting board. There was ribbon tied neatly around it.

Someone really went the extra mile here. It was all for nothing of course because I sliced through the annoying ribbon with a knife. It was pretty, but it was ultimately a total inconvenience.

I opened the box and stared down at a cookie sitting next to a folded piece of paper. I took the paper out first and looked over its contents. I was expecting something less vague, but of course, it had to be the vaguest message in the world. Only one word was written on it.

 _'_ _Truce?'_

What does that mean? Am I at war with someone and I don't even know it? I did not even bother with the cookie. I immediately threw the thing away. If I don't know where it comes from then why would I even think about eating it? For all I know, the secret ingredient could be arsenic.

* * *

I woke up to freezing temperatures. My eyes shot open only to see nothing but darkness. The TV must have gone off at some point while I was out, but that still didn't explain the cold. It was so freaking cold!

Why was it so cold? It felt as if my body had been encased in ice. I tried to move, but my body was not responding.

" _A simple answer for a simple question._ "

There it was again. This time it was unmistakable. A voice was speaking to me. I heard every word of what was said. It was completely audible. Carefully I listened to this man speak. His voice was so soft and gentle. It felt… ethereal.

"Hear me well, boy, because I will never repeat myself. The reason you feel so cold is simply because you are cold. Your body is currently ice-bound. Do not panic. When you awake from this seance, all will be well."

"Who's there," I stammered. I was told not to panic, but how was I supposed to listen to that advice in the first place? My body was frozen and I couldn't see a thing. How could I not panic?

"I have decided to take up residency in your body for the time being," the voice continued, ignoring my obvious dismay. "My colleague, Mercury, will give you all the details at a later date. Preferably a time when you are fully conscious and capable of contemplating my words. You will help us achieve our goals and we will do the same for you. I have seen the desires in your heart and they are obtainable. That is all. You may rest assured. I will disturb you no longer."

I was so lost. I had no idea what was going on. I struggled to keep up with what the stranger was saying with everything that was happening. I cried out, demanding to know his identity, but he said nothing specific. Nothing I could understand.

"When you arise from the realm of dreams, look to the sky just before the sun pierces the eastern horizon. Look toward the star that shines brightest and you will find me."

* * *

I sat upright in my bed. Like always, any dreams I may have had were totally forgotten the moment my alarm clock went off. I lunged toward it and slammed my hand down on top of the thing. Silence fell upon my room for a few seconds. I did not bother trying to go back to sleep. Any moment now, my sister would come barging into my room, shouting at me to wake up as she took the cat and left.

This never happened. I laid there in wait for the longest time but it was still dead quiet. I stirred from the blankets and looked toward the window. It was still dark outside. I groaned and kicked my alarm clock in frustration.

The actual time still remained a mystery to me. All I knew was that it was way too early to be awake. As I tried to go back to sleep, not even bothering to reset my alarm, I thought about something. I wondered how I ended up in my bed, but this was not the first time something like this has happened. Every time I fall asleep in the living room I sleepwalk my way to my room.

I ignored the thought as soon as I reached this conclusion and buried my face into my pillow. I was pretty close to falling back into a peaceful sleep. Almost. So close yet so far.

A voice rang out in my ears. I nearly hit the ceiling when I jumped at the sound of someone speaking to me.

" _Rise and shine!_ "

I threw the blanket off of me and searched the room. Nothing moved. There was no one around but I know what I heard.

I got up and checked every corner but I still came up with nothing. "Who said that," I finally shouted to my obviously empty room.

" _You won't find me if you keep looking around like that._ "

There it was again! The same voice I had been hearing off and on all night! It wasn't just my imagination. It couldn't have been. This time it actually responded to me. Was I going crazy? I did suffer a recent head injury, but surely that wouldn't be enough to cause something like this. It's not like I have a history of schizophrenia.

"You're not crazy," the voice proclaimed to me as if this stranger could read my thoughts. "I thought the Boss went over all of this with you. Do you forget things that easily?"

"What are you talking about, who are you?"

It was the best response I could come up with. I still couldn't figure out where this person was hiding. I had already checked every possible spot I could think of but he was still nowhere to be found.

"How many times do I have to tell you," the voice asked in a frustrated tone. "If you keep looking for me in random places, you'll never find me."

"Then where are you!?"

"Inside your head, of course," the voice replied. "Hope you don't mind, but my boss and I are using your skull as a new hideout. Don't worry, I won't go peeking around in your thoughts too much. Although, I've gotta say, some pretty weird stuff crosses your mind every now and again. Hey speaking of weird stuff that's been happening lately..."

Yeah, speaking of which…

"What's up with that note we saw in the kitchen? Why does someone want a truce with you? They even left you a cookie too. You did the smart thing by throwing it away. It could have been poisoned. Either that or you and I have the same cynical way of looking at the world."

"Better safe than sorry," I responded. Then it hit me. I was actually having a conversation with a disembodied voice. I still have yet to get his name. I really must be going crazy.

"You aren't going crazy," the voice continued, once again peering into my very soul after promising otherwise.

"My name is Mercury. I'm a Humanoid Interface just like your buddy Nagato who I hear is knocking on heaven's door as we speak."

Now it was all starting to make sense. Maybe I should have listened to this guy from the start. I really wasn't going crazy. Still, the mere mention of her name killed my mood.

I frowned and sat down on the bed, no longer willing to remain standing. I suddenly didn't have the energy for that.

"An interface, huh," I asked aloud. I don't know why I even bothered talking aloud to this oddball. Perhaps it was just my own way of coping with the fact that I was having a conversation with an alien inside my head.

"Well, that explains a lot. So, you know Nagato?"

"Why don't we go for a walk," Mercury offered, but I was having none of it.

"Why don't you answer my question?"

Mercury said nothing for the longest time. I heard him murmuring something in the back of my mind. I couldn't tell whether he was talking to himself or to his 'boss' but he eventually spoke up after such an awkward period of silence.

"Let's take a walk," he repeated. "I'll answer your question there. You could do this for me, or you could be left guessing. Just make up your mind soon, though. Nagato's life depends on it."

* * *

So much had happened over the course of these past two months and winter still wasn't over yet. I was finally home from the hospital for a head injury. Of course, that was only after being attacked by a certain blue-haired maniac in an alternate dimension.

Then, this nonsense happened and I was left in the wandering down a lonely, snow covered road pondering to myself if this madness would ever end.

Needless to say, I did what they asked. I got dressed and took this mental debate outside. What else could I do after he mentioned Nagato? More importantly than her, though, I had to know who this person was. What was going on? How were they even accessing my thoughts, to begin with? Was this a function Nagato was capable of too?

I pondered this as I practically had to wade through the snow. It was at record levels at this point. The days rolled by but winter had yet to leave. Granted, we still had awhile to go before it was all sunshine and blooming flowers, but this was starting to get ridiculous.

Eventually, I reached the park. It was desolate, but I expected nothing more at this hour. Only drug addicts and I were foolish enough to hang around here at this time of night. Finally, my new friend decided to speak up.

"The Boss says it's cool to answer your questions now. All he asks is that you keep your eyes on the sky and look for the morning star."

"Look for what," I asked in confusion.

"Venus, my friend," Mercury informed. "Search for Venus."

"Is that your boss's name?"

"No."

That answer surprised me. I still had yet to actually meet the other interface that was using my head as a winter retreat. I didn't even know the guy's name. This one's name was Mercury which was odd enough, but if the other guy's name wasn't Venus then why the hell were they asking me to look for it.

Again, to my surprise, Mercury did not outright answer the questions I had swimming around in my mind. By now, I was pretty sure he could hear just about everything I was thinking. Guess I'll just have to ask them outright.

"I'm confused," I proclaimed aloud. I tried not to think about how wrong this scene looked. A crazy man talking to himself in the middle of the night. How long would it be before the boys in blue took notice in me?

"You said you're an interface just like Nagato and you also told me her life was in danger. I guess I already knew that so why don't you start by explaining this to me?"

"Easy enough," Mercury snarled. He spoke with a sort cockiness that did not exactly fit the tone of the conversation. "The Boss and I are in the same boat as your friend. We were to be destroyed by our creator, but being the resilient little interfaces that we are, we managed to escape. We knew you were important to the current development down here. We know you're a key figure when it comes to that annoying girl that seems to be so damn crucial to the universe. Likewise, we also knew the Data Integration Thought Entity would be forced to back off if we took up residence in either your head or hers so we chose the most comfortable option and that leads us to now."

I couldn't really blame them for choosing me over Haruhi. Why the hell would anyone want to live inside Haruhi's brain. Her mind probably resembles the second circle of Hell. A constant tempest of winds that blow in every which direction.

It was interesting to hear that these two were also betrayed by the DITE. I wanted to ask how it happened, but there was something more pressing at the moment.

"Wait, so you guys are essentially using me as a human shield, right?"

Suddenly, Mercury did not sound so cocky. "Not at all," he said with a forced laugh. "Think of us as brothers in arms. We must always be prepared to make sacrifices for the greater good!"

So, in other words, they're totally going to use me as a human shield. Glad we got that cleared up. I just wish this guy would be a bit more honest about his agenda. It would make my life a lot easier.

Mercury ignored my thoughts and went on with his speech. I knew he could hear them, he just probably didn't have a shot in Hell at refuting them.

"Just because nothing's happened recently doesn't mean your friend is safe and she knows it," Mercury informed me. "It isn't exactly a secret that the Entity is not pleased with Yuki Nagato. She has already admitted to you that she knows it's plotting her fate but what if I were to tell you that Nagato was not going to last through the winter?"

His words felt like a meteorite had just crashed into the very spot I was standing. I knew I would have to do something soon. Nagato's fate was pretty much sealed until I could figure out a way to stop it from happening.

She would have been safe had I have just swallowed my pride and accepted that world. I probably would have died early there, but I never anticipated it to be a utopia without Haruhi around to screw up our lives over and over again with her stupidity.

"What do you mean," I suddenly inquired. It was a stupid question. I knew exactly what he meant when he said that.

"I mean, she will be killed and replaced with an identical unit sometime within the next month or two," Mercury snapped.

Wait a minute, did he just say _replace!?_ As in, an identical Nagato will take her place and no one but her creator would be the wiser? I never even considered such a thing, but now it seemed so blatantly obvious. Why would the Entity not replace her? Of course, it wouldn't just outright kill her, throw her corpse into oblivion, and leave us all guessing about her fate! It would just bring more risk than reward when the godly Haruhi finds out that one of her friends is missing.

"Keeping quiet are we," Mercury said, interrupting my train of thought.

I don't get this guy. He can read my thoughts so why is he acting like I'm totally silent right now? Even now, he ignores me. It's infuriating, especially in a time like this.

"Whatever, I guess I'll just ramble on if you've got nothing to say. As you can probably imagine, your friend would be doomed if it wasn't for us coming down from the heavens to grace you with this knowledge. The best part is, we have a plan to help you."

It was great to hear that I wasn't alone, but also pretty suspicious. Nothing in the world was ever free and from what little time I've spent with this weirdo, I seriously doubted this would be a charitable act.

"Don't think we just ran away, though. We have a plan," Mercury added. His confidence seemed to be returning as he said this. In fact, it sounded as if it was taking a turn for the sinister.

"A plan to destroy the Data Integration Thought Entity."

Okay, now this was getting spooky. I mean… the people in my head were already spooky enough but this was on a whole different level. Did I hear him right? Destroy Nagato's creator? Is that even possible!? How would it affect would it have on the universe as a whole if something that powerful just up and dies?

I guess they read my mind again because Mercury responded to my thoughts as soon as they materialized.

"Of course, we don't intend to just leave our fellow interfaces without a leader. That would just be asking for trouble. No, as soon as we succeed in killing our ruthless creator, the Boss and I will take things over and you won't have to worry about a thing."

"Now, I get it," I said aloud. Their agenda was as clear as day to me after he let that part slip. "Look, you guys can just be honest with me. You don't really care about Nagato, do you? That's just something to get me on your side, right?"

Yet another long pause.

"Correct," Mercury informed with surprising honesty. "We could care less about your friend, but should that really be a surprise to you?"

No.

There were a lot of obvious reasons why I should care about a couple of strangers trying to overthrow an almighty alien deity, but surely they knew that. Mercury's tone was evident enough that he himself was not totally convinced of his own argument.

I decided to let it slide for now. Their idea sounded good, but then again, so do a lot of undesirable things. I couldn't think of a single logical reason why these guys would not hold true to their word. It wasn't like Nagato's existence was a bother to them now nor could I imagine that changing in the future.

Then again, these two could just be a couple of manipulative sociopaths. That's just as likely a scenario as them being honest. Probably even more likely.

Their argument was very tempting even if I had no idea who these interfaces were or what their true agenda might be. There's not a day that goes by when I don't think about waking up to a world where Nagato's existence has been erased. It's been mental torture just to get out of bed in the mornings to see if the inevitable had happened yet.

They didn't really convince me that night and I don't think they were trying to, but what they did get was my attention. How could they not, though? They were inside my head, after all.

* * *

 _Note: Awhile back, I cleared my profile of old completed projects and stuff I knew I was never going to work on again and Soul Coil was part of that purge. I kind of always had a feeling I would bring it back even if it was the only Haruhi Suzumiya project I would ever work on again._

 _Originally, Nightscape was published long before Soul Coil. I got the idea for the second project somewhere in late development of Nightscape. Soul Coil took on a lot of traits from its predecessor and ultimately surpassed it as Soul Coil actually had some semblance of a plot whereas Nightscape was one surreal scene after the next. Soul Coil was also the first and only story I have or will ever write in the first person. The reason I chose to do this back then and continue the tradition now is that most of the conflict takes place in Kyon's mind. Naturally, it just made sense for me to tell it from a first person perspective. I tried doing it from the third person viewpoint on both revisions of the story but they failed each time._

 _As far as Nightscape goes, as I said before, the chances of it being revived are pretty much zero. There's no reason for it to exist anymore. I've already taken a lot of my favorite elements of that project and moved it over to one of my newer works. Anything that hasn't been pillaged already has been worked into this story. For instance, you can expect Soul Coil to always take place at night, hence the title of this chapter. In fact, most of the changes in the overarching plot are because it's nighttime all the time._

 _The two Humanoid Interfaces that invade Kyon's mind have not only been renamed but have basically been replaced by two of my favorite characters that came out of Nightscape who are as you can already guess, characters who have been based on deities._

There are some other major changes I made and almost made to Soul Coil, specifically involving Ryoko who was almost cut from the story entirely, but I'll go over all of that while the story progresses.


	2. Eternal Blue

**Eternal Blue**

That bastard Mercury doesn't know when to shut the hell up! He's so odd. My head went dead quiet shortly after the break of dawn. I went through my day only hearing him a couple of times, whispering in the back of my mind. He wasn't even talking to me. He was probably scheming with the so-called _Boss_.

However, as soon as the sun went back down, he lit up with energy. He'd been talking about all sorts of things since then. Nothing was really relevant to me but that didn't stop him from ranting about whatever he wanted.

It was such a long day too. I wanted to go home and go right to bed, but Mercury was having none of that. We had things to do, _apparently_. I had no clue what Mercury wanted. All he told me was to leave the house and head out into the cold night just like when we first met.

This time, we were supposedly running an errand for the Boss. Of course, nobody bothered to tell me what this errand is or why the Boss wanted us to do it after nightfall, but I do what I must. You'd better thank me in the future, Nagato. I'm freezing my ass off out here for you!

I finally had my fill of all this aimless wandering. The whole night could be summed up by Mercury spouting directions and me mindlessly following them. Naturally, the moment I stopped going forward, Mercury voiced his displeasure with me.

"Yo, Kyon! Why'd ya stop?"

Now, why the hell is he using that name? He's in my head. He's probably learned more about me than I'll ever know and yet he still can't acknowledge my real name!?

"Where are we going," I finally asked. _Wait_. Why didn't I just ask from the get-go?

"I already told you," Mercury stated with an annoyed sigh. As if he's the one with the right to be annoyed right now.

"We've got orders from the Boss. That's all the reason we need. Now get your ass back in motion."

"Just answer the damn question already!"

Thankfully, it didn't take much to convince Mercury to spill the beans. Perhaps he realized my right to know these things since we were supposed to be working together. That's what I'd like to think, though. In reality, he probably just wanted to shut me up.

"The Boss wants us to get a few things out of the way before we bring down the big bad guy in outer space. For starters, he wants us to tie up any loose ends that might cause us trouble in the future. That's what we're doing tonight. We need to find out who sent you that weird message last night, track them down, and deal with them."

What the hell was he talking about? We had no leads about that creepy message from yesterday. To be honest, I had totally forgotten about it. I guess it was only natural that I would prioritize to alien cyborgs invading my brain as opposed to some stranger leaving me a possibly poisoned treat and a confusing message.

At any rate, why are we going down this particular road? Hell, why were we going anywhere? Does the Boss know something that I don't? Why is he always talking through Mercury? He's in my head too so why doesn't he say anything? They can hear my thoughts right now so why can't I hear theirs?

I decided to stop asking myself questions that I could never find the answers to on my own. Of course, Mercury didn't bother chiming in to answer them. He only ever bothered when I had easy questions. Oddly enough, every time I had a question that involved information which wasn't totally useless, Mercury went silent.

Knowing that he was probably ignoring my thoughts, I decided to address him directly. "So, where are we headed? Does the Boss already have a lead or what?"

"Don't know yet," Mercury flatly replied. "Haven't heard anything yet. He said to investigate some weird streams of data down this way. We don't know if it's relevant at all, but we'll only find out after we see it for ourselves, right?"

Great. More alien jargon. Well, as long as we're not wasting time then I guess it would be wise to make sure nobody is on our trail. If the DITE catches wind of what we're doing, I'm not sure how it would react.

There's probably no risk involved for me personally. Killing me would be counterproductive, but if we make a slip up at some point down the road and Mercury and the Boss somehow end up getting the ax then its all over. Nagato will surely die.

" _Interesting._ "

That voice caused me to freeze in place. It was a woman's voice and it was coming from somewhere behind us. Mercury was the first to say anything.

"Who was that? Who's following us? Kyon, you should have been keeping your eyes open!"

What? Why is he blaming me!? Nobody told me to make sure we weren't being followed. How was I supposed to know this would happen?

Of course, there was no time to argue aloud with Mercury. I quickly turned around to see who was there. I quickly regretted doing that as soon as I did.

All too soon, I found myself paralyzed in fear. Suddenly, my sister's description of the woman who left that note from last night made sense to me.

While I was panicking, Mercury was trying to stay calm. I heard him barking out orders from within the depths of my mind and for once I couldn't agree more with what he was saying.

"Boss! Are you seeing this!? We need your help..."

My eyes locked with hers. Two exquisite pools of blue staring me down while the snow fell down around us. Why was she here!? Does she have nine lives or something? Why can't she just stay in the goddamn dirt!?

"Huh," I shouted aloud as this villain smiled at me as if all were right with the world. "Why can't you stay six feet under where you belong!?"

She didn't answer my question. Then again, that seemed to be a reoccurring theme lately. Instead, she decided to respond with a question of her own. Her long blue hair swayed in the direction of an icy breeze as she spoke. Her voice was soft and joyful but this persona would not be enough to fool me.

"Talking to yourself?"

Not really but you wouldn't understand that even if I gave you an honest answer, would you, Asakura?

She tilted her head at me like a curious bird. Her smile wavered at my silence. "Why do you look so upset," she asked as if the answer wasn't obvious enough. "Did you not get the cookie I left you yesterday? Your sister said she'd give it to you."

Asakura paused for a moment, probably analyzing me. I kept quiet, waiting for the Boss to intervene. I didn't really know what he could do while he was inside my head. Perhaps it was my job to protect him and Mercury.

Anticipating the worst, I brushed aside my confusion and focused on the fact that despite all odds, Asakura Asakura was standing right in front of me. I paid close attention to her every move as well as my environment. I counted several escape routes which helped my confidence during this grim confrontation.

"So that message was from you after all," I finally responded. I figured Mercury and the Boss were hatching some scheme right about now. So, all I had to do was keep her talking until one of them let me know how to get out of this situation alive.

Asakura nodded her head. Her smile returned. She almost looked a bit excited for whatever reason. "That's right! Did you like the cookie? I have more back at my place! Perhaps you and I can talk more about a truce there? I think it's probably best we get off the streets. There's a lot I want to discuss with you, and personally, I'd rather go someplace warm to talk."

Right. Take me someplace nice, quiet, and with no potential witnesses. Does she really think I'm so stupid?

She frowned again, probably growing impatient with my silence. "So, what do you say," she asked again.

"That won't be happening," I informed her. "That will never happen. You've tried to kill me twice already! Do you think I'd ever make a truce with the likes of you!?

Asakura giggled at my distress. Her reaction made me even angrier. "Are you still holding a grudge for one little time when I..." She suddenly fell quiet for a moment and stared at me with a puzzled look on her face. "Wait. You said I tried to kill you twice? When did I try to kill you a second time? This is the first time I've seen you since our confrontation in the classroom."

Oh, that's right. She wouldn't remember the second time since it happened after I went back in time to stop Nagato from altering the world. Since it happened right after Nagato finished her meddling with the universe, I guess that was a different Asakura.

That fact only proved one thing to me. No matter what happened or where we are in the universe, Asakura and I will always be enemies.

Suddenly, I heard something. A voice from the back of my mind. It did not belong to Mercury. That much I knew right off the bat.

" _Listen carefully because there are two ways to approach this issue. Normally, I would be the one to make the decision, but at least this one time, I want to see how you handle yourself._ "

The voice was slightly deeper than Mercury's and far more serious in tone. Could it be the Boss? It's not like it could be anyone else. Naturally, I did exactly as I was told all the while keeping my eyes locked on Asakura.

"I'm not sure what that interface is up too but I do not like it," the Boss told me. "I'd rather not make a scene right now so let's try to make a clean escape. When I say run, I want you to bolt towards the alley nearest to you on the left. Keep going straight until I say otherwise. Understand?"

Don't have to tell me twice. The only thing I'm lost in is how are there two options when the first one is so rock-solid?

"I do not like it when questions go unanswered," the Boss elaborated further. "If we are to succeed then we must leave no loose ends. So take up her offer and learn as much as you can. If need be, I or Mercury will intervene. Either way, this loyalist scum will not get in our way."

Wait, he's actually considering that second option? I mean, I understand his logic but this is Ryoko Asakura we're dealing with! Why is he leaving the decision up to me anyway? _Mercury and I don't call you the Boss for no reason, you know?_

Then I started thinking about it a bit more. If we run, she'd just chase us. We'd have to deal with her at some point in the near future. Hell, running could be the death of me because it would mean she gets the chance to come back later on.

On top of that, I still wanted to know why she was here. Was she brought back by the DITE to stop Mercury and the Boss? If so then why hasn't she attacked me yet, unless she doesn't even realize that they're right here in my head. Maybe it's for a different reason entirely.

In the end, I don't know why I made the choice that I made. Now, whether or not I'd come to regret it, I'm sure time would let me know.

* * *

Has the world gone mad or was it just me? I followed this psychotic woman to a presumably secluded area under the orders of the Boss, who just so happened to be a disembodied voice from beyond the stars.

I stayed a good distance behind Asakura since walking in front of her was probably a death sentence. She skipped down the road as happy as she could be.

Both of the voices in my head stopped talking at the most inconvenient time. They could at least let me know if I was making the right choice or not. Surely I wasn't if I was following Asakura around. I should have bolted when I had the chance.

Her voice pierced the silence, causing me to stop in my tracks and jolt my head upright. I stared at her as she spoke to me, anticipating the moment when she would lunge at me with a glimmering blade.

"Noticed anything unusual about Miss Suzumiya lately," she inquired. A question that came out of seemingly nowhere. What did Haruhi have to do with any of this? I had almost forgotten she even existed up until now.

My silence was probably what encouraged her to turn around. Her smile was as unreadable as ever. She tilted her head cutely, clearly trying to manipulate me in some way.

"I'm here to stop the bad guys, Kyon," Asakura told me. "I was given new life by my superiors. They informed me that a rebellion was brewing down here and the enemy was held up quite literally inside of Haruhi Suzumiya's mind. A perfect hostage if I do say so myself. So, if you cooperate and help me locate them then the sooner we can go our separate ways. I know you don't really like me, so cooperation can only benefit you."

The DITE sent her to fight Mercury and the Boss!? What really interested me was the fact that she didn't seem to have a clue about what was going on. The Entity actually thinks they took up residence in Haruhi's head? I guess that would make sense, but from everything they told me, I assumed their location was already known by the enemy, hence the reason why they needed to use me as a hostage.

Was she lying to me? I couldn't think of a good reason _not_ to put it past her. Surely if this was her mission and she knew where her targets were hiding then she would have killed me by now. She showed no restraint in the past so why would she hesitate now? On top of that, I couldn't get my mind off of that note she left me. All of these things combined were just adding to the confusion that was already clouding my thoughts.

Thankfully, Mercury finally decided to say something. I hated how quiet he got in the most crucial of moments. If this was to be a reoccurring them then we'd definitely have some problems in the future.

"This is interesting," the voice interrupted. "So, she's been sent here to drive us out of hiding."

Don't know why you had to repeat that, Mercury. Why don't you just tell me what the hell I need to do?

On the bright side, at least I didn't run. That would have been beyond suspicious. Then again, after someone stabs you, your first instinct is either to beat them to death or run away. I'm a wimp so I'd naturally choose the second option.

"Keep her talking, Kyon! I think the Boss is coming up with a plan."

Feel free to take your time, Mercury. It's not like our lives are on the line or something like that.

"Still keeping quiet, are you," Ryoko asked. For a moment, I had forgotten that she was standing right in front of me.

She looked at me with a quizzical expression. I probably wasn't doing the best job of hiding my fear. None the less, I met her eyes with an angered glare.

"I've got nothing to say to you," I informed, forcing myself to speak up just to make myself look a little less suspicious. "I haven't noticed anything off about Haruhi lately. I barely spoke to her today, but I was up all night, kind of like I am now so I pretty much ignored everybody."

Asakura smirked at me as if I had said something funny. She never failed to irritate me with that cutesy smile of hers.

Mercury suddenly chimed in when I least expected it. I had anticipated being left to deal with this situation on my own. Naturally, when I heard his voice, I nearly jumped out of my skin. So much for not looking suspicious at all.

"Okay, listen up, Kyon. We got a new order from the Boss. Don't follow her home. If we step inside her residence, she might be able to detect us. Instead, take her somewhere else. Your place or a restaurant for example. Anywhere but her apartment. Also, make sure _you_ are the one to choose the location."

That's all the information he gave me before he quieted down. I wanted to go home, but not with Asakura around.

It made sense why they wouldn't want her to choose a place to sit down and relax. Who knows what she might have planned. For all I know, she could be suspicious of me and is only using Haruhi as an excuse to interrogate me.

That definitely seemed like something she would set up. Honestly, I missed the days when she was more open about her intentions. Sure, I had to dodge a knife every now and again, but the unknown was so much more stressful than that.

"On second thought," I blurted out. "Why don't we go somewhere else. I'd rather not have to deal with going all the way to your apartment."

Asakura approached me with a curious smile. She leaned in way too close, forcing me to stumble backward.

She stared at me for the longest time. Hell, it could have just been a second or two but it really didn't matter to me. Suddenly, she spoke out in her usual cheerful tone.

"Okey-dokey! Lead the way!"

I was expecting more resistance when I said this. She must be pretty desperate for information.

That was what I thought at the time, at least. Looking back, I was totally wrong.


	3. Trypanophobia

_Note: Been awhile hasn't it?_

* * *

 **Trypanophobia**

Ryoko smiled innocently as she sipped the tea _that I paid for!_ I really don't like this girl. I wasn't sure how obvious that was to everyone around me, but I tried to make it as clear as possible.

Still, I was curious… about a lot of things. I found it funny that she came to me with her questions. As if I would help her. Up until she showed up, I was not fully on board with helping these two freaks out, especially after literally invading my brain. Now, I was all for helping them if for nothing else than to piss Ryoko off.

She stared at me with that stupid smile on her face. Mocking me. I tried to read her expression but it was impossible. Even when trying to kill me, her attitude and demeanor never changed. I couldn't help but wonder if she was on to me, but with the way she was acting, that didn't seem likely.

Knowing it would require further investigation to find out of if she had any idea where her targets were actually located, and given that Mercury wouldn't shut the hell up until I started asking questions, I decided to do exactly that.

"So, you going to tell me about these people you're looking for or what?"

Ryoko propped her head up in her palm and gazed at me with a slight smile. She sat there blinking at me for the longest time as if wondering to herself what information she was willing to offer me and what she absolutely wasn't going to let me in on. Eventually, she did say something, while not really expecting much, she gave me a whole lot more than the generic answer I was expecting.

"They were experimental Humanoid Interfaces designed with deep infiltration in mind. Their trademark abilities include; invading someone's mind, gaining access to all information stored within the host's brain, and seizing the host's nervous system."

That last part scared me a bit. I tried to hide my nervous expression. Whether she noticed it or not, she carried on with her explanation.

"Essentially, they were to be able to enter someone's brain, say… yours for example, without you ever knowing it. Unfortunately, they were still prototypes. One thing that was apparently noticed was that the act of entering someone's head was not very painless. From what I've been told, it's an excruciating experience. Do let me know if you ever find yourself having any abrupt, extremely painful, and intense headaches."

"Yeah, I'll be sure not to do that," I bluntly retorted. She tilted her head at me as if surprised to hear my blatant lack of cooperation. I glared in response to that stupid look of confusion she was giving me. Clearly, I was going to have to spell it out for her.

"Do you actually think I of all people would ever go out of my way to help you? Did you honestly think it was a good idea to ask me about whatever it is you're looking for?"

Ryoko did not respond right away. She stared me down with an unwavering smile. It was getting on my nerves. Granted, the fact that she was existing on the same planet as me was getting on my nerves, but that smile of manufactured innocence was beyond annoying.

"I thought you would be more cooperative," she retorted. "After all, these entities are probably in someone's brain right now. They could very easily kill said person just by messing with their internals if they wanted to. Espionage and infection were their primary purposes. Dying by their hands is a terrible fate from what I've read. We wouldn't want anybody you know… or even you yourself suffering like that, right?"

I giggled at her as if she were one of those delusional, drugged out hobo who constantly preach about the apocalypse in _'insert your local metropolis.'_

In reality, that was actually pretty frightening to hear. I could not help but visualize my brain melting out of my ears in the near future. Still, I thought I did a decent job of hiding this new fear of having my gray matter be eaten from the inside out by alien cyborgs from outer space.

"Are you actually implying that I've got alien parasites in my brain," I scoffed.

"Well, not you per se," she corrected me. "I think Suzumiya would have been their first target, but they could come after you too. Really, I'm just looking for anyone who has these symptoms," she rambled on with unusual cheerfulness.

Ryoko abruptly snapped her fingers and pointed at me accusingly. " _Firstly!_ Being needlessly aggressive to those around you."

She then leaned over the table as if examining me. " _Second!_ A pale complexion. _Third!_ Hearing random voices in your head, telling you to run around town in the dead of night."

The maniac finally sat back down, giving me room to breathe. She let out a sigh as she explained the final symptom. "And of course, the most common symptom would be random migraines. So, do be a sweetie and let me know if you experience any of those things, okay?"

Was she actually on to me? She kept referring to Haruhi as being her primary suspect but with the way she worded those symptoms and kept giving me that sly smile, I couldn't help but wonder if she knew more about my situation than I anticipated. I definitely wasn't the only one at the time who picked up on that.

" _Maybe we should book it, Kyon_ ," Mercury whispered. " _I don't like the direction this conversation's been going._ "

I couldn't agree more with the creepy voice in my head. I stood up without a second thought and prepared to leave.

"Look, I've gotta go. I'll keep an eye out for anything suspicious, but I'll be reporting it to Nagato long before I come to you. See ya."

Ryoko rolled her eyes at my not so slick attempt to get the hell out of there. Surprisingly, she was cooperative in the sense that she did not pull out a marine issue Ka-Bar and order me to sit back down.

Wait a minute… She has a Ka-Bar, right? A Bowie knife? Hell, it could have been a freaking Kukri for all I knew. I'd rather not even know.

"Gee," she muttered as soon as I turned my back on her. "I sure wish I had a place to sleep tonight. I only just got here and I won't have a chance to buy an apartment in my old building at least until tomorrow. If only I knew someone nice enough to let me stay with them..."

I glanced over my shoulder to see her wide eyes staring back at me. She frowned and shook in her seat as if the cold was beginning to get to her. Irresistible. I had to do something. Even if she has tried to kill me on multiple occasions. I couldn't just leave her there. I did have a fraction of my heart still intact.

"I didn't even realize," I murmured aloud. "Don't worry about that. There's a place you can go."

Ryoko perked up in surprise. She had a somewhat hopeful twinkle in her eyes. She probably wasn't expecting me to respond in such a way. _Just the reaction I was looking for!_

"The nearest bridge is a couple of blocks down the road," I coldly informed her. " _Or_ if you're looking for a place with a bit more privacy then I'd recommend the dumpster in the back alley. Goodnight."

Grinning with satisfaction, I walked away. After all, I'm not so cruel that I would leave without giving her such crucial advice. At the very least, I would rest easy knowing that I did a good deed for a girl in need.

I grew even more excited when I realized that my previous line rhymed! _Kinda._ I should take up poetry after this is all over. Maybe that's the secret to winning Asahina's heart. Perhaps this time spent with Ryoko wasn't a total waste of my life after all.

Itsuki was right for once. I really need to start thinking more optimistically.

* * *

I made my way to a nearby bus stop as the voices in my head requested the minute I left the dinner. I had no idea what they were planning. As much as I wanted this bus to take me home so I could get some sleep, because… ya know… sleep is nice every once and awhile.

We sat there for some time before anyone told me where we were headed. Eventually, I just decided to ask outright.

"Where are we going," I asked aloud, not really caring if anyone heard me talking to myself.

"I'm wondering that myself," a voice called out to me from behind. I flinched at the sound of it. I recognized it immediately but it still scared me half to death.

I twirled around and spotted the source of the voice. Koizumi crept out of the shadows and headed toward me. That smile of his was made all the more creepy by the poor lighting. Relief washed over me at the sight of that familiar face.

"What are you doing out here so late," I asked him sternly.

"Couldn't get to sleep," Koizumi tiredly stated. He let out a light yawn as he examined me. "What about you? Why are _you_ out so late?"

I scratched my head. By the tone of his voice, I'd say he was almost suspicious of my activity. Then again, it was pretty suspicious to see someone standing by the bus stop in the middle of the night, yelling at themselves.

"Just getting some fresh air," I replied. "Couldn't sleep very well either."

Koizumi took a look around as if to make sure nobody was nearby to overhear our conversation. While he obviously couldn't make sure of that given how dark and public the setting was, he sighed and muttered to me in a slightly quieter tone of voice.

"Something's been happening recently regarding Nagato," he warned me. Suddenly, I felt a tinge of rage. A feeling that the duo in my head probably picked up on. I could almost feel them perking up inside my skull the moment he said that.

"Two Humanoid Interfaces went rogue recently and disappeared after a failed rebellion against Nagato's creator," Itsuki continued. "I haven't been briefed on the whole story yet, but apparently they were two prototype entities that operate very differently from either Nagato or Asakura. They've got a lot of people worried. I'm not sure what's so special about them yet, but I will keep you updated. For now, just watch your back."

"Why should I watch my back," I inquired for the sake of playing dumb. "I have no part to play in any of that."

"They've been suspected to be hiding out in the area somewhere," Itsuki told me.

Man… If only he knew the level of irony in this conversation.

At that moment, I was beginning to wonder why I felt the need to not tell a soul. I had been instructed not to, of course. After having that freaky conversation with Ryoko, the thought of angering them didn't sit well with me.

Could they actually kill me from the inside out whenever they wanted? Was it that easy for them to invade my head? Would it be just as easy for them to destroy my nervous system, set me up to be killed, or just flat out drive me insane where I'd end up as a suicide case or locked in a nut house?

It was something I tried not to think about… especially since they could hear my thoughts.

* * *

Koizumi and I sat on a nearby bench for some time. The previous conversation ended with me telling him that I'd keep my eyes peeled. It was only after some boring chatter that I remembered something. I should really tell him about Asakura's presence.

Her being on the same hemisphere as me was definitely a disturbing thought. The sooner I could inform him and Nagato, the quicker we could deal with her.

I took a look around to make sure she wasn't around. When I saw nobody apart from Koizumi, I immediately told him about my encounter.

"I ran into Asakura this evening."

That statement earned me a confused look. I elaborated further before he had a chance to ask me to repeat myself.

"She started talking about the same rogue interfaces you were telling me about. Don't know why or how she's here. She says she's looking for those Humanoid Interfaces, but I doubt her intentions are that pure. We need to tell Nagato and have here removed for good."

"Interesting," Koizumi exclaimed.

As always, his reaction never failed to take me by surprise. Seriously, was that all he had to say? I was expecting him to call Nagato or something. Granted, I could've done that at any point too, but still…

"So, what did she have to say about them? The rogue interfaces, I mean."

I hesitated for a moment. It was as if he didn't care at all that my worst enemy had been brought back from the grave. None the less, I gave him an answer.

"She suspects one of us to be infected by them. I think Haruhi is her number one suspect."

" _Infected_ ," Koizumi inquired. "What do you mean by infected. And why did you act so ignorant about the topic when I brought it up earlier. You acted as if it was your first time hearing about this incident."

Oh, that's right. I was playing dumb up until now. It didn't take me long to come up with an excuse. It may not have been the best one, and it probably only made him more suspicious but I had to say something.

"I only just now made the connection between what she was saying and what you were talking about," I said in an admittedly overly defensive fashion. "Anyway, she said that they have the ability to enter someone's brain. Don't know what the application for that would be for. Asakura said they were designed for..."

" _Espionage_ ," a voice called out from behind. A feminine voice. A voice that I hoped I wouldn't be hearing again for the rest of the night.

Of course, not every wish can be a reality. I jumped out of my seat. Koizumi remained oddly calm during the whole ordeal, but I expected nothing less from him.

We turned around to see a familiar head of blue hair standing underneath the same streetlight that illuminated our bench. Why? Why did she follow me?

"They were designed for the purpose of deep infiltration and espionage," Ryoko announced with a prideful smirk. "Isn't that right, Kyon?"

"Huh," I asked in bewilderment. "What are you doing here? That bridge we talked about is in the other direction!"

"That wasn't very nice of you, by the way," Ryoko fired back. She kept up that cutesy expression, but she spoke in a bitter tone. "Telling me to sleep under a bridge or throw myself in a dumpster. That isn't how you treat a woman."

I looked at her with the sole intention to make her feel as loony as possible. She tried to kill me. Not once, but twice. Did she honestly expect my respect? Wait… _Did that rhyme again!?_ I've gotta get a record deal going after all this is said and done.

"Can you go home, now," I asked cynically. "Oh, wait! That's right, you don't have one. _Ouch._ "

Ryoko's smile widened as she looked down at me. She tapped the tips of her fingers together with diabolical intent as she contemplated her response.

"You know, Kyon. I had initially returned with the intention of not harming you. I'm afraid that you're making said goal harder and harder to reach. Keep talking and I might just lose control of the knife I always have on me."

I leaned away from Ryoko. Her twisted smile was only making her threat more intimidating than it already was.

She then abruptly vaulted over the bench and took a few steps toward me. Neither I nor Itsuki did much of anything aside from stand in place and observe her actions. Koizumi seemed to be keeping an eye on her hands, making sure she wasn't trying to reach for anything. Meanwhile, I was just debating on which direction to bolt when things inevitably turned violent.

To my surprise, and more so, my relief, she never pulled that knife. Instead, she narrowed her eyes at me with teasing suspicion.

"You've been acting very weird tonight, Kyon," she informed me. "Very weird. Why did you try to act like you had no idea what Koizumi was talking about? I just went over it with you. It's almost like you're hiding something from me. I don't like secrets. If you just tell me whats going on in that thick skull of yours, then I might be able to help you out."

"Back off," I exclaimed in frustration. I took a few steps back just to clear a bit of distance between us.

She kept on approaching me. Out of nowhere, she pulled out what at first I thought was a knife. I noticed Koizumi start to approach her from behind, probably in preparation to give me some back up if need be. To my shock, it wasn't a knife, though.

In her hand was a long syringe. She pointed it directly at me and muttered to me that innocent tone of hers.

"If you're feeling a little sick, then just let me know. I'll stick you with this and you'll feel all better."

After that, she turned around and walked away. She disappeared into the shadows. Where she was headed, I couldn't exactly say. Did I honestly want to know? Not really.

All I could do at that point was pray that she'd never come back. Of course, knowing my luck, I was bound to run into her again.


End file.
